Lever.



No. 679,873. Patent ed Aug. 6, 1901.

H. A. BACKUS.

LEVER.

(Application filed Sept. 12, 1900.1 um Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

UNIT D STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

Y l-IIRAM A. BACKUS, OF EVAN S, NEVVYORK.

LEVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 679,873, dated August 6, 1901.

Application filed September 12, 1900. Serial No. 29,803. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM A. BAOKUS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Evans, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Levers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvementin power-exerting devices, and more particularly to that class of devices whereby a maximum weight or resistance 'may be overcome by a minimum expenditure of power.

Hitherto it has been the general custom'to.

tion causing it to assist in attaining the object in view.

My invention consists in a powerexerting device comprising a flexible device extending between an object to be moved and anysuitable staying power, in combination with a lever provided with a plurality of pairs of gripping devices located at difierent points on the lever, which gripping devices are adapted to engage the flexible means and when the lever is operated to advance the movable object. It further consists of certain other novel details of construction and combination of parts, such as will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out .in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective plan view of my device, show ing it in readiness for operation. Fig.v 2 shows the lever at the end of its throw in one direction. tions, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the trac tion-wheel.

Arepresents the lever, which may be of any suitable shape. Its length, of course, may vary with the amount of space in which it is to be used and the weight to be moved or Figs. 3 and 4 are slight modificaresistance to be overcome. Near one end oppositely-extending chains 1 2 are secured by pivoted double-looped shackles and hav ing grappling-hooks 3 4 at their outer or free ends. A similar arrangement of chains 5 6 and hooks 7 8 is secured to the lever at a little distance nearer the opposite or free end of the lever. The distance existing between these two sets of chains may vary, as it is obvious that a longer swing can be had when the sets of chains are farther apart and a greater amount of power exerted than when the sets of chains are nearer each other, when a-shorter swing at the expense of less power is obtainable. Near the opposite or free end of the lever a standard 9, provided with a wheel 10 at its lower end, may beaffixed to the under side ofthe lever. in any suitable manner to support the weight of, the lever. This is only necessary whenthe length of the lever is such as to render its support from the ground diificult without the aid of a standard. A clevis-hook 11 is also secured to the end of this lever in order to utilize horse-power, if desired.

B indicates chain or cable, the two free ends of which are attached to the object to be moved, thus doubling the chain, which is rove through a pulley 14 or similar device fastened to a stationary object, such as a pile driven into the ground. The two strands of the chain are indicated by the numerals 12 13.

As seen in the drawings, the lever is placed in such a manner that the hooks on both sets of short chains may be attached to strand 12 of the chain B in an alternate manner-that is, one of the hooks 4 engages the chain B when the opposite hook 7 is engaged, and vice versa. When the hooks are coupled to the chain, the lever is swung to the right, whereupon the chain B will be tightened and will transmit an immense power upon the object to be moved, not only directly through the strand 12 between hook 4 and the object to be moved, but also a pull will be .transmitted along the strand 12 between hook 7 and the pulley 14, which is exerted upon the object through strand 13. Thus the object is subjected to a double pull or power exerted upon it by the lever through each strand of of the chain B, and the object will be drawn forward a length equal-to that traveled by the hooks 4 and 7. At the end of one swing.

when a repetition of their former movement results.

Fig. 3 and at illustrate modifications of my Fig. 3 shows the wire cable or chain B rove through twopulleys, one of which is device.

secured to a stationary object and the other to the object which it is desired to move.

The free ends of the cables are grasped by the hooks which operate as previously described'. InFig. 4 is shown a device whereby hanthpowermaybeutilized. In this constructio'n there isbut a'single chain B, con-.

nected at one of its ends to the object to he moved-and its opposite end secured to asta- 'tionary object. The lever is of any convenient length and has the four short chains provided with hooksat their outer or free ends. it

These chains, however, are each arranged at an equal or approximately equal distance,

from the central point of the lever, which extends upon either side-of the chain and has v nay'theiroperate th e'device, as hereinbefore described; I H

Bymea-ns ofiny'invention I can move the heaviest weightsorfovercome the largest resistanc e'b'yj merely increasing the number of pulleys triengthsning the lever, or both. I do awayi 'withtheuse ofa stationary fulcrum, now in general use, and can adapt my improvement to use in crowded places as well as where I can have plentyof space in which to swing thelever.

The device operates entirely independently of any hitch or support, and my device may be applied to any sort of work wherein heavy weights are to be moved or resistances overcome, and yet it is simple, cheap, and durable. It doubles the usual leverage exerted by a common lever.

The saving of power by omitting the use of a stationary fulcrum is one of the main objects of my construction,and the power which has'heretofore been lost by employing a stationary fulcrum is in my device reversed backand acts upon the building, weight, or resistance through the two strands of chain, one from the lever to said weight and the other to the weight or resistance past the lever,through the pulley, and back to the short chains and hooks. In fact,it is a device without anequal in power, retaining its position and sustaining its draft upon an incline. It is adapted for moving light or heavy weights by using eithera small hand-lever or an extraheavy horse-lever twentyafive or thirty feet long with extra wire cables, having chains shackled to their ends and iron ball-bearing sheaves. Its-power is-unlimited up to fiftythousand-horse power.

The invention can be applied in any convenient place. It may be used to Warp a vesselinto its dock with atwenty-foot hand-lever and a shackle at the stern or side of the vessel, so that the levercan swing on the deck, or it would prove of inestimable value in a railway accident by providing a simple means with which to move the heavy wreckage.

It is evident that slight changes other than those herein noted might be made in the-form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope-of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact con struction herein set forth; but,

'Havingthus described myinvention, what I claimas new, and desire to'secureby Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a power-exerting device, the combination with a flexible means extending between an object to-be moved and any suitable staying power, of a lever, a plurality of pairs of gripping devices situated atvdifierent points on the lever, the gripping devices engaging the flexible means at opposite points where by when the lever is swung, to simultaneouslyexert a tension on the flexible means in opposite directions. Y

2. A lever provided with a plurality of sets ofchains, the individual members of the sets extending in opposite directions from one another, a main chain extending between an object to be moved and anysuitable staying .power, the alternate chains on the lever engaging the main chain whereby when the lever is operated, to slacken that portion of the main chain held between them, and cause the movable object to advance by exertinga pulling force thereon.

3. A lever provided with a plurality of double-looped shackles pivoted thereon, a plurality of pairs of chains oppositely mounted on the lever by means of said'doublelooped shackles whereby the chains are capable of a lateral swing as the lever is operated, a main chain extending between the object to bemoved and any suitable staying power, thealternate chains on opposite sides of the lever engaging the main chain whereby to advance the movable object step by step, when the lever is operated,by exertinga pulling force thereon.

4. The combination with a lever provided with a plurality of pairs of gripping devices secured thereto at different points, of a'fiexible connection extending between an object to be moved and any suitable staying power, the gripping devices alternately engaging the flexible connection whereby, when the lever is operated to cause the advance of the object to be moved.

5. The combination with a lever provided with two pairs of short chains pivotally attached thereto, the individual members of each pair extending oppositely from one an IIO other and parallel with the corresponding individual member of the other pair of chains, of a main chain extending between an object to be moved and any suitable staying power, the alternate individual members of each pair of lever-chains removably attached to the main chain, whereby to advance the object to be moved step by step.

6. Alever provided with a plurality of pairs of short chains at or near one end thereof, the chains extending oppositely to one another and at approximately right angles to the lever, a main chain extending between the object to be moved and any suitable staying power, hooks on the lever-chains removably engaging the main chain, the alternate chains of each pair engaging the main chain, whereby to slacken that portion of the main chain held between them, to advance the object, when the lever is operated, and a standard provided with a traction-wheel, the standard secured to the lever for its support.

7. Alever provided with a plurality of pairs of gripping devices extending oppositely to one another, aflexible means extending be tween an object to be moved and any suitable staying power, the diagonally-opposed gripping devices alternately engaging the flexible means whereby to cause it to exert a pulling force on the object to be moved when the lever is operated,the device being so constructed that it will retain its position whenever theoperating force is removed, thus preventing the movable object from returning to its original position.

8. In a power-exerting device, the combination with a flexible means extending between the object to be moved and any suitable staying device, of a lever, a plurality of pairs of gripping devices situated at dilferent points on the lever, these gripping devices adapted to engage the flexible means at opposite points whereby, when the lever is operated, to simultaneously exert a pulling force upon the flexible means in opposite directions.

9. A lever provided with a plurality of pairs of gripping devices, in combination with a flexible connection extending between an object to be moved and any suitable staying power, one member of each pair of gripping devices adapted to engage the flexible connection whereby, when the lever is operated, to cause a tension or pulling force to be exerted on the flexible connection and thereby upon the object to be moved, the device being so arranged that it will retain its position at the end of a stroke thus preventing the movable object from returning to its original position.

10. In a powerexerting device, the combination with a main cable extending between an object to be moved and any suitable staying power, of a lever provided with a plurality of pairs of gripping devices extending in opposite directions from one another, and

adapted to removably clutch the main cable,

whereby a pulling force is exerted upon the object to be moved, whenthe lever is oper-' ated.

11. In apower exerting device, the combination with a cable extending between an ob ject to be moved and a suitable staying power, of a lever provided with pairs of gripping devices located oppositely to one another and adapted to removably clutch and hold the main cable whereby, when the lever is operated, to exert a pulling force on the object to be moved.

12. In a power-exerting device, the combination with a lever provided with a plurality of pairs of gripping devices, of a flexible device connecting the object to be moved with some suitable staying power, the diagonallydisposed member of each pair of gripping de-. vices adapted to alternately engage the flexible device whereby, when the lever is operated, to advance the object to be moved.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of J. N. BARR. 

